Chapter 6

The Cave

I stood stunned for a little while. When I turned to look at Ky's reaction, he was already gone. As I looked around to see where he had gone, I caught a glimpse of a green tail sliding into the bottom of the hole. I transformed and followed him, and was surprised at what I saw. Inside were dozens of Blue eggs, some veined and others not. The amount wasn't what surprised me however. The fact that they were all shattered is what did that. I heard Ultimatra gasp and begin to cry in the back of my mind. I felt my own eyes well up, and I dropped to my now human knees. There was a moment of stillness as I sobbed with Ultimatra. Before I could blink, Ky was rubbing my back and comforting me. I could feel the presence of Tartea in my head, probably comforting Ultimatra. I turned to him, my head still down. He held out his arms and I cried on his shoulder.

After awhile, I calmed down, and began searching through the shattered remains of the eggs. Tartea was still comforting Ultimatra, and knowing he was there gave me a warm feeling inside. I searched all the eggs, and found nothing to speak of. I was still crying as I sat down in a small hole in the corner of the large room. I leaned my head against the wall, and felt what seemed to be a handle in the rock.

"Ky. Come here. I think I found something."

"Don't. It'll just break your heart to find another one."

I ran my hand over the seam, and noticed a waxy feel to the metal. "Ky! It's still sealed. The people that did this didn't find this one!"

He walked over calmly, and placed a hand on my back as I pried open the safe with magic. Inside was a single blue egg with emerald veins, completely intact. I looked at Ky, eyes wide. I pulled it out carefully, and looked closely at it. Feeling around inside with my mind, I found that there was a healthy male dragon inside. "It's alive! Ky, it's alive!" I began crying again, this time in happiness. Ultimata was crying too, but she was still talking to Tartea.

Ultimatra! There's one still alive!

Don't tease me, dear one. I know I am the last of my race.

No, really. I'm holding it in my hands! Take a look! It's your kin too, Tartea.

That's impossible. There has never been a Blue and Green joining, whether the male or female was Green.

Apparently there was.

I felt Tartea leave my mind, and disappear into Ky's. Ky was in shock, his hand still on the small of my back. I placed the hand not holding the egg on his cheek, where there was a single tear running down his cheek. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and just inhaled, the scent of him surrounding my senses. "There's one left. I don't believe it."

"Neither do I. They would have had to used a special tool, as Dragon eggs are of the hardest substance known to man or mortal. They were cunning, and evil. How could they have missed this?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad they did. How's Tartea handling it?"

I am fine. Don't worry about me.

I do, though. Ky loves you. You're important to him. And anything important to him is important to me.

Thank you.

Ky wrapped his arms around me again, and we just stood there. "I'm sorry they killed your kin. It pains me to see you like this."

"Thank you. I'm sorry too."

"Is Tartea with you? I can't feel him."

"Yeah, he's talking to Ultimatra."

"Good. She'll need to be comforted. Today is full of ups and downs for her."

"What would it feel like to think you are the last of your kin for six hundred years, only to find out you have a brother?'

"You should know. She's connected to you, and you share her feelings. I know you were hurt when you saw all these babies slaughtered, but you wouldn't have broken down like that if it wasn't for her."

"Yeah, Ky, I would have. These were babies, just as you said. They didn't deserve this, and they couldn't even defend themselves. At least this little one will be safe. Would you like to come with me back to the Blue Temple to put him somewhere safe?"

"I think the safest place is with us."

"Us?"

"He's my kin too."

"I guess so."

"Let's get back. Arishka will worry if we're gone too long."

"I want to burn these first. They deserve to be put to a proper rest."

"I'll help."

Together, we cremated the eggs, and spread the ashes into the waterfall so they would live forever in their own way. We flew out of the waterfall and to Arishka's cave, but not before the egg was safely in my pack, and the Cave was sealed shut.

We stopped at the entrance, and changed back to our human forms. Arishka and Moku were sitting in her hole, and talking quietly. They stopped when they saw the grim expression on my face, and the one on Ky's. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and squeezed lightly. I leaned my head on his chest and we just stood there. "You guys have a good walk?"

"No." I replied, making my voice as monotone as possible.

"Where did you guys go that would make kind, fun-loving Alya turn into stone? What did you do to her, Ky? If you hurt her, I will have to kill you." Moku said like the defensive older brother I had begun to think of him as.

"I didn't hurt her. We found the truth behind a rumor."

"You didn't." Arishka jumped out of the hole, and looked at us with sympathy.

"We did, and it was horrible." I replied.

"Someone want to tell me what you are talking about?" Moku asked.

"There is a legend. A young Blue Dragon once laid about thirty eggs, one of which was the first Blue-Green mixture. Knowing she was going to be the next slain, she hid all of her eggs in a cave shaped in the Water symbol. She spelled it that only a Blue Dragon, pure of heart with no treachery on their conscience, could open it."

"So, that's good. Right?"

"No, Moku. It's not. When we opened it, all of the eggs laying on the ground were shattered, and their contents killed. We searched for hours and found nothing." I choked out the last sentence.

"I'm so sorry."

"Let me finish. We didn't find anything on the floor. When I sat down, we found a safe, cloaked in shadow. When I opened it, I found this." I pulled out the egg, and held it out for Moku and Arishka to see.

"Is that?"

"Yes. This is the first Blue-Green offspring." I laid it down beside Arishka's fire-red egg, and they glittered in the light. As I walked back to Ky, I heard Moku mutter. "The first of many, I'll bet."

I ignored him, and allowed Ky to wrap his arms around me again. "I'm hoping that I can keep it safe, with you guys help of course."

"You will, with or without our help, but I will be happy to." Arishka told me.

"Thank you."

"You have my help as well." Moku offered.

"Of course."

"I-'' Ky started.

I laid my index finger on his lips to stop him. "You already promised, remember? Don't even think of taking it back."

He smiled under my finger, and squeezed my waist again.

"I would keep it with you tonight, beside you in bed. If it gets used to your presence, it won't fight you when you carry it around. Since you're not its mother, it may not want to go with you, and make itself sick or kill itself. You don't want that to happen." Arishka told me.

I wrapped my hands around the egg, and felt warmth from inside. "Of course. It will be safer with me than out here anyway."

We talked for a while longer, and went to bed late at night. I laid the egg in the curve of my hips and legs and fell asleep to dream of shattered eggs and water.

I woke up the next morning with a burning heat on my thighs. The egg was burning up. I laid a hand on it, and looked around the room, and saw a shadow in the corner of the room. I quickly transformed and whipped my tail at it. It dodged my tail, and stepped into the light. It was Ky. "Why didn't you say anything? I could have killed you just there!"

"I didn't want to wake you up. You looked really peaceful. Why did you wake up?"

The egg was still burning, and I transformed back to my human self. I placed it in my pack and looked at Ky. Something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I put a hand on his face, and it was freezing. "You're so cold! Where have you been?"

"I was sitting outside for awhile. It's cold out there. What's wrong? You seem suspicious of something."

"There's something going on, and I mean to find out."

"It's probably Arishka. She went for a walk, and she hasn't come back."

"That's not it. She can take care of herself. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. You aren't."

"What?"

"Have you looked down at your stomach, yet?"

I looked down, and there was a tiny bulge. "So, I'm bloated. It's probably from my menstrual cycle."

"Have you been talking to Tartea yourself?"

"I might have."

"Then it's not your menstrual cycle. Alya, you're pregnant."

I was shocked speechless and in disbelief. "That-that's impossible. I'm a." I stopped, not wanting to say it.

"You're also a Dragon. We don't get pregnant the traditional way. It happens when a male dragonling speaks mentally with a female Dragon. Unless the male is a mortal, then it's done the traditional way. But if you're a virgin, then it's all Tartea's fault."

"Did he try it?"

"I don't think so. I don't think he even knew about it. It's a gamble anyway. Most of the time, it doesn't happen without the Dragon's consent."

"What am I going to do? This can't happen right now! I'm only sixteen!"

"I am too. Don't worry, Alya. I'll make sure that it's taken care of. And Arishka will be happy to answer any questions you may have. It'll be okay."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because... I love you."

"W-what?"

"I love you, Alya. I can't believe it myself, but there is no other explanation for how I feel. I want to protect you, no matter what."

I was speechless. Tartea?

I'm really sorry, Alya. I didn't try to get you pregnant. I just wanted to comfort you.

I know. Thanks.

Like you said, Ky loves you. You're important to him. And whatever is important to him is important to me.

That means a lot to me.

Well, if it does, tell him that you love him too. I can feel his disappointment that you haven't said it yet. I stand by my promise. If you break his heart, I'll have to kill you.

"I'm sorry, Ky." I saw his face drop. "No, not about that. I'm sorry that I made you wait so long. I love you, too. I have for a while. I was so confused. I didn't want to look like an idiot. I was just talking to Tartea a-''

I stopped when he smiled that dazzling smile of his and put a finger over my lips. His eyes sparkled and my heart stopped. He leaned down to kiss me again, and he put a hand on my stomach, where there was another life growing inside of me.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Eight o'clock."

"Moku won't wake up for another few hours and Arishka won't be worried about me. I told her I'm a late sleeper."

He smiled, and we sat on my bed. I stared out into the sky, and had the best conversation of my life, and fell asleep beside the man I loved, both of our hands on the bulge of my stomach.

LOL, Don't kill me please! I know that this is a bit anticlimactic, and doesn't make much sense at all, but deal with me please!